Get Active

Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. In combination with healthy eating, it can help prevent a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke, which are the three leading causes of death. Physical activity helps control weight, builds lean muscle, reduces fat, promotes strong bone, muscle and joint development, and decreases the risk of obesity.

Here are a few activities and steps that you and your family can consider to get started on a path to a healthier lifestyle:

Give children toys that encourage physical activity like balls, kites, and jump ropes.

Limit TV time and keep the TV out of a child’s bedroom.

Facilitate a safe walk to and from school a few times a week.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Walk around the block after a meal.

Make a new house rule: no sitting still during television commercials.

Find time to spend together doing a fun activity: family park day, swim day or bike day.

Issue a family challenge to see who can be the first to achieve a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award by committing to physical activity five days a week, for six weeks. Adults and children can both receive the award!

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Healthy Ulster County Mission & Vision

Ulster County has a wealth of committed and talented individuals and organizations that offer outstanding preventative health related products, services, programs and events. This site is designed to bring all of those resources together in one comprehensive and user-friendly place. It offers FREE listings (with certain terms and guidelines) to any Ulster County business, restaurant, non-profit organization or individual who has something valuable, of a preventative health nature, to share. It also offers useful preventative health information from recognized sources throughout the nation and world.